She Was Waiting For You
by Afterworld EverDawn
Summary: Lily Luna lost her mother two years ago. How has that affected her relationship with her father?


Ginny had always wanted a little girl. Harry tried and gave her James Sirius, whom she adored and cherished like he'd be their last. After the family got back on track, Ginny brought up the subject of a little girl again. Again, Harry gave her the chance, but again the family was blessed with a little boy, Albus Severus. Ginny dotted him, and taught the two rascals to get along because even at the young ages they were, they showed signs of picking on each other.

The family of four was beyond happy, but Harry could see from time to time Ginny's want to have a daughter of her own. Well, shortly after Albus' second birthday, their daughter was born. Ginny loved her like she was her first, which didn't surprise Harry in the least.

What Harry hadn't counted on was what their daughter could turn into after her mother was gone.

[-][-][-]

Lily Luna tore through the house, grabbing anything and everything that seemed as though it could prove to be useful. Thread, needles, lace, markers, fabric -

"Lily," her father, Harry, called from the kitchen.

The seventeen year old froze in her tracks. Oh no, damn it! she scowled herself. Her father had probably unearthed the letter the Headmistress of Hogwarts had sent home with her during spring holiday. "Yes?" she asked, wary. She adjusted her large silver hoop earrings (which she'd gotten without permission) and pulled her shirt over her hips again.

"Could you come here please?" He sounded tired. No surprise there though. He always sounded tired when he spoke to her. With James and Albus it was always happy happy joy joy. Heaven forbid Lily get to see a smile.

Her shoulders dropped and she dropped everything she was holding to the floor. She could pick it up later. He father didn't need to see her running about with a mix of things and get some weird suspicion. Granted, that was exactly what would happen when she showed up empty handed.

Reluctantly, Lily entered the kitchen and said, "Yes dad?"

"I have a letter fr-"

"Okay, so kill me. The guy's a jerk. I gave him what he was practically begging for - A swift kick in the teeth. Just be glad I didn't use magic. You told me not to - I didn't. Can we please not have this discussion _again_?" Lily rushed, knowing if she didn't she'd never get her two cents in. He never let her speak, always tried to control her the way mom never did. She'd only been gone two years ... Just because the rest of her family had moved on, didn't mean Lily had.

Harry's brow knitted and she felt the accusations coming. He would tell her how disappointed he was, how she should behave, act more like her brothers - She'd heard it all before.

"You know what, just forget it. You never listen to me anyway. I'll go clean the cellar and spend the rest of the day in my room doing nothing that interests you." Lily grumbled, stalking out of the kitchen.

She never did clean the cellar, just gathered her materials and headed straight for her room. It was filled with stuff she hadn't used in years: too small clothes, picture books, fancy quills and an assortment of textbooks lay scattered across the floor or stuffed in the closest. The only reason she had any of it was because they reminded her of Ginny. That was going to change though, and soon.

The quills her mother wrote with, she stuffed in her desk, and the quilts she tossed on her bed. Everything else went in a box, which she labeled _Charity. _Lily had to move on ... She had to move on if she wanted to move forward, get away...

How many hours alone she'd spent, she wasn't sure. Her room looked decent, but Harry would find something wrong, she knew. Still, nobody tried to talk her out, and for that she was thankful. Lily was off in her own little world, music playing lightly in the background as she stitched fabric together. Her Aunt Audrey had taught her how back when she was nine, but she hadn't used the skill since her mother passed.

She tried and failed and tried again until she thought it was perfect. It was only when her creation was complete and she held it up in the mirror that someone knocked on her door.

"What -" her voice was rough from lack of use. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Who is it?"

There was a pause before, "The one who doesn't listen to you." Lily's eyes widened, panic setting in. She looked from the door to her creation and scanned her room for a place she could hide it with out destroying it. "Could I come in please?"

"What? - No - Why?" Lily said, vaulting her bed and gently stuffing it underneath on the other side.

"I'd like to talk-"

"As if. I'm not stupid dad. You're going to lecture me on stuff you've said before." Lily said, her tone returning to that which she typically used with him.

"You're right, and I shouldn't expect you to hear me out, but I am sorry for what I've said in the past. I realize that, and this morning with the letter..."

Lily tuned him out, her response already planned. Instead of paying him attention, she sat at her desk and took out parchment and one of her mothers quills...

[-][-][-]

"...I don't know how else to say it, Lily. Your mother was always better than me with stuff like this. I don't understand how she did it and I've only been failing by trying to be the same way. What happened at school is done. Your mother would have been proud of you for sticking up for yourself, even if she disapproved of the manner. This morning I only wanted to give you the letter sent to you. There's no name, but I wasn't about to pry-"

Lily threw open her door so fast it bounced back. "Letter? If he-" she stopped herself. She could practically feel the narrowed suspicion boring down on her. Yet when she looked up, her father only stood there, letter in an outstretched hand, implying she take it. "Thanks." she offered, to break the silence more than anything.

"Supper will be ready in a few moments."

"Al's cooking?" Lily asked, not looking at her father.

Harry nodded, "James is home tonight too." he turned and went for the stairs. Lily was slipping back into her room when she heard Harry add, "Be safe Lily. For your mother's sake."

A chill ran through her and her father vanished from her site. Had he read the letter? No, it hadn't been resealed or anything. How -?

Lily shook her head and shut her door. The letter was from Lysander, the only guy who worked his butt off to gain her trust, did everything in his power to prove he loved her, and still made the effort to show it. Any guy before him had been a pawn, a one night thing. No, she'd never gone to far to rebel, but had come close several times.

The letter said simply: _6 o'clock_

Lily smiled and took a box from the back of one of her desk drawers. She placed the ring on her finger and a tear rolled off her cheek. She would be ready now, ready for whatever was out there waiting for her.

That had been the only thing holding her back, it seemed. Knowing how badly she'd hurt the only parent she had left if she escaped without sharing forgiveness. In their own way, Harry and her had.

She took the letter she'd been writing off her desk and lit it on fire with a flick of her wand. Those words were empty now. Harry, it seemed, understood her like Ginny had a lot more than she'd ever realized.

Gathering her wedding dress from under her bed, she packed it in a box all it's own, and placed a photo of her family on top. The past was melting away ... Better days lay ahead, and she was capable of finding them on her own. She knew that now.

[-][-][-]

Harry stood at the bottom of the stairs, listening for the small click that came as Lily shut her door. There was a sliding of drawers, and the moving of more than one pair of feet before silence fell over the room. Harry smiled sadly to himself, and looked at the picture of his wife that he carried with him always.

"I did the best I could to make up for my mistakes. I hope it was enough." a warm feeling spread through him, and Harry knew that Ginny was there with him. He could practically hear her saying, as if to reassure him, "She's ready. She was just waiting for you."


End file.
